


I Got Him

by MaddieandChimney



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: F/M, tw: injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25260001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddieandChimney/pseuds/MaddieandChimney
Summary: Chimney breaks his wrist during his time as Captain and doesn't tell anyone until Maddie, trying to get his attention, grabs his hand.
Relationships: Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Kudos: 18
Collections: Madney One-Shots





	I Got Him

It hurts.

Maddie couldn’t have foreseen that them taking a moment would last quite this long, both of them patiently waiting for the other to break the silence neither had expected. It was just easier; Maddie didn’t trust herself to be around him without rushing into something neither of them were ready for.

But still, it hurts when she says hello and he ignores her.

It takes her a second to recover, watching as her brother stands up slowly from across the room when he’s noticed the way she’s frozen. Her hand clutches at her stomach, it almost feels as though he’s knocked the wind right out of her. Although really, that would hurt a lot less than whatever she is feeling right then. “… Chimney?”

Still nothing. Her bottom lip trembles, she can _feel_ the way Buck is waiting to approach her with that concerned brotherly look on his face. How Hen is shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Eddie won’t even look up, staring down at the plate of pizza in front of him. “Howie?”

Maddie feels sick, her body shaking when the tears begin to fall, “Howard!” There’s desperation in her tone that time, at least it’s enough to make him flinch, enough for him to shake his head and start to walk away. “No! No… you don’t just get to walk away that’s not how we work. W-we’re taking a moment, this… this isn’t like you. You’re not this cruel.”

Buck is getting closer to her, as though he’s biding his time to catch his big sister or, by the glare on his face, punch Chimney. Maddie’s quick to shake her head, throwing her hands out to stop her brother getting any closer to the other man. “I got this, Evan. Just go sit down, I got this.” He doesn’t sit down, but he does step back, keeping his attention entirely on the temporary Captain who had frozen in his position.

The second he moves to walk away again, Maddie storms after him, grabbing his hand in an attempt to stop him. The scream that falls from his lips is enough to make her jump back, her hand dropping from his immediately. Her initial thought is that he must really hate her, but she was a nurse and she’d recognise the scream of pain anywhere. So does Hen and Eddie because both of them are jumping up and running over to them before Maddie can even think to move.

She still reaches out for him first, grabbing his other hand to yank him away from everyone else. His face is pale, he’s shaking and the tears are falling down his face. “I got him.” She whispers, glad when he doesn’t pull away from her this time, as she pulls him down the stairs, towards the always empty Captain’s office.

The moment they’re alone and she can see how unsteady he is on his feet, how he looks as though he’s about to throw up at any second. “Show me… you don’t have to talk to me, you don’t even have to look at me if you hate me that much but show me.” When he doesn’t correct her, she tries her best not to burst into tears, trying to appear more confident than she feels right then when she steps forward. She watches as he carefully rolls up his sleeve, wincing in pain as he does, revealing the significant bruising and swelling of his wrist.

“Howard.” Maddie can’t stop the tears from falling no matter how hard she tries, gently taking his hand in her own so she can examine the damage. “Oh god, you—when? Why wouldn’t you—? I-I… why did you hide this? You could have… you might have really damaged—”

“Only this morning.” He mumbles, cheeks at least flushing with shame, “Least I deserve after killing Eddie’s wife.” That’s enough to make her wince, fingers gently grazing over the bruising as she takes a deep, trembling breath.

“You didn’t kill anyone. You’re punishing yourself?”

“Don’t deserve you.” That explains why he had ignored her, although it doesn’t hurt any less to know he wouldn’t even look at her right then. It doesn’t hurt any less to know that she’s not the problem, but rather… his own mind is.

“Okay, we’ll deal with that later, just let me take you to the ER, please? Let me look after you, even if it’s only for tonight.” One hand moves to his cheek, gently brushing away the fallen tears as she sniffs. “Even if you don’t feel deserving right now, it’ll make me feel better to look after you?” The slight emotional manipulation seems to work because he’s nodding his head, his good hand moving to her cheek, thumb brushing away her own tears.

“Really don’t deserve you.” His voice is quiet, leaning down only to press his forehead against hers.

With a sigh and a frown, she nudges their noses together, hand moving through his hair, “That’s not true, you’re just… too kind, too good for this world sometimes, Howie. You feel guilt for things that not many other people would and that’s not a bad thing because it’s you and I can’t change that about you. I wouldn’t change anything about you. But you are more than deserving… I’m going to take you to the ER, we’re going to get you all fixed up, then I’m going to take you home.”

Her eyes sting with unshed tears, “Get some food down you, bet you’ve not been eating too good, hmm? Give you some belly rubs until you fall asleep, you’ve probably not been sleeping too good either… look tired.” Her fingers trace the dark circles beneath his eyes, sighing, only giving him a small smile when he nods his head.

“Thank you, Maddie.”


End file.
